diff --git a/drivers/platform/x86/thinkpad_acpi.c b/drivers/platform/x86/thinkpad_acpi.c
index fc3d42548a34..379f9633f78e 100644
--- a/drivers/platform/x86/thinkpad_acpi.c
+++ b/drivers/platform/x86/thinkpad_acpi.c
@@ -6640,8 +6640,10 @@ static int __init tpacpi_query_bcl_levels(acpi_handle handle)
 	list_for_each_entry(child, &device->children, node) {
 		acpi_status status = acpi_evaluate_object(child->handle, "_BCL",
 							  NULL, &buffer);
-		if (ACPI_FAILURE(status))
+		if (ACPI_FAILURE(status)) {
+			buffer.length = ACPI_ALLOCATE_BUFFER;
 			continue;
+		}
 
 		obj = (union acpi_object *)buffer.pointer;
 		if (!obj || (obj->type != ACPI_TYPE_PACKAGE)) {